School District of Athens

Third graders having fun!

Welcome back to another year of Family Foods!! First lab day officially in the books!!! Kitchen 2 in 2nd hour NAILED IT!! Way to go!!

The kindergarten classes took advantage of a windy day and made their own plastic bag kites. They had a great time running and catching the wind!

Welcome to our new technology education teacher, Mr. Shawn Steinke! "I am a graduate of Athens High School and a volunteer firefighter with the Athens Area Fire Department. I’ve also been coaching several sports in Athens for the past 15 years. I enjoy camping and playing sports with my wife and three kids. I’m excited to be teaching and watching as students grow and become successful. It’s an honor to be part of this community and to give back."

Please give a big Athens Bluejay welcome to our MS/HS Science Student Teacher this year! Hi, I'm Mrs. Thunder. I'm from Wausau and now live there with my husband next to his family's farm. I love spending time outside and crafting whenever possible. I'm looking forward to getting to know the community of Athens and gaining experience teaching in a rural setting. I enjoy seeing the strong relationships that are built between students, faculty, and parents! I'm excited to get creative in the classroom no matter the circumstances that arise!

Here is some more artwork from last year's Kindergartners! They studied Robert Indiana's LOVE artworks (a sculpture and a print) and used their knowledge of cool and warm colors to create these masterpieces. They incorporated their own meanings of "love" in their backgrounds!

UW Stevens Point will be offering a virtual ACT Prep Course for interested students. Registration information is on the flyer.

A big Bluejay welcome to Ms. Tianna Borchardt, third grade teacher! "This is my first year at Athens Elementary School and I am excited to be a Bluejay. I Graduated from Edgar, but recently graduated college from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. In my free time, I love being active outdoors, spending time on the lake, playing basketball, reading, and being with my family and friends. I also love to travel and participated in a study abroad trip to Greece and Albania while I was in college. I am super Excited to start the school year and meet everyone!"

Let's meet our Marathon County Special Education teacher, Ms. Brittney Knetter! "This is my first year teaching at Athens. I currently live in Edgar where I grew up. I am excited to begin this new chapter in life! I am also excited to get married in October. I enjoy spending time with my fiance and my family. In my spare time I enjoy reading and cooking."

Welcome to our fourth grade teacher, Ms. Kira Kalepp! "I am excited to be starting my first year teaching at Athens Elementary! I was born and raised in Abbotsford, WI. My education was completed at NTC in 2013 and I received my bachelors degree from UW-Superior. In my free time I love spending time with my family, playing board games, going for bike rides and walks with my dog Emmy, playing volleyball, tennis, golf, crafting and DIY projects."

School is in session but we're out learning!

While I wait for new artwork to be finished, I decided to share some of things my students have done that may not have gotten to be shown at the end of last year to celebrate their accomplishments! Here is work from some of our second graders from last year!

Math manipulative exploration time - great ways to start the first grade week!

Students - the Rainbow Road sensory path is just waiting for you to come to school and check it out!

Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Marathon County Health Department announced a “HIGH RISK LEVEL” for COVID-19 in Marathon County. The School District of Athens will continue to keep buildings CLOSED (essential staff only) through August 30 with the exception of August 27 which is scheduled for Picture Day PK-12/Open House PK-5. This is the last scheduled announcement at this time, so thank you for your patience and understanding during the pandemic. We will OPEN the buildings to all students and staff effective August 31 in preparation for school to begin on September 1.

Check out this back to school information from the Marshfield Clinic Health System. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Luf-yW7YzL-ludVe9zukptrgEX6ezjA3/view?usp=sharing

Check out us on this story from Channel 9. https://waow.com/2020/08/18/small-school-district-big-advantage/

Calling all avid sewers and seamstresses: The Athens band program needs your help to make full band rehearsals possible! In addition to the preventative measures already taken for this coming school year, there are more ways still to make music rehearsals even safer for your child. According to a study led by University of Colorado Boulder, students will need to have a covering for the bell of their instrument to prevent aerosol particles from escaping. One of the most effective materials for a cover like this is close-weave cotton (Ex: 300 count bed sheets). If you can support the Athens band by making these “instrument masks,” please contact Mr. Puffer at spuffer@athens1.org, so our students can enjoy making music for you once again! COVID-19 Aerosol Study: https://www.nfhs.org/media/4030003/aerosol-study-prelim-results-round-2-final.pdf

Effective (08/12/2020) - HIGH RISK LEVEL Wisconsin Department of Health Services and Marathon County Health Department announced a “HIGH RISK LEVEL” for COVID-19 in Marathon County.  The School District of Athens will continue to keep  buildings CLOSED (essential staff only) through August 23.  Currently, updates will be provided to the Athens community every Thursday by 10 AM regarding the status of school buildings for the next week.  Safety guidelines for entering schools are posted at the Main Entrance of each building.

Registration Day is Tuesday, August 11, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Athens High School. Masks are highly recommended and social distancing will be practiced.